1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an inflatable air mattress, and more particularly to a multi-bladder air mattress where only two inflation-deflation port members are required to inflate an air mattress having either four or six separate air bladders.
2. Description of Related Art
Air mattress are known in the prior art. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,183 to Elrod, et al. discloses a fluid pressurizable multiple chamber mattress wherein each chamber is capable of operably receiving and releasing a fluid and at least one fluid valve for permitting the pressurization and depressurization of at least one fluid pressurizable chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,795 to Wu discloses an inflatable bed having first and second chambers where air from the first chamber enters the second chamber through a unidirectional air inlet unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,434 to Ellis, et al. discloses a mattress assembly for supporting a patient where a control module is configured to supply air to first and second air zones to maintain the first air zone at a substantially constant first pressure and a second zone at a constant second pressure which is less than the first pressure to provide reduced pressure on a patient's calves and feet located on the second air zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,239 to Ward, et al. discloses a multi-zone support having a top foam layer, a middle foam layer, and a bottom foam layer where the resistance to a compressing force increases per layer from top to bottom. The middle layer incorporates five zones of support. Three of the zones include a sinusoidal surface for supporting the head/shoulder, hips, and legs/feet while the other two zones include a sold surface for supporting the back and thighs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,350 to Larson discloses an air mattress having a low pressure bag with a size and shape to support a person during rest. A high pressure bag is adapted for inflation to a pressure higher than that of the low pressure bag and is of a size and shape to provide posture support as desired. An enclosure shell encloses the high and low pressure bags with the second high pressure bag being disposed below the low pressure bag and at approximately the longitudinal center of the low pressure bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,423 to Larson discloses a fluid-filled mattress with firmness adjusting air bladders where the individual bladders may be individually inflated and deflated to provide precise firmness adjustment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,723 to Shafer, et al. discloses an automatic control system for controlling the firmness of an air mattress where the air control system provides for independent control of both bladders in a two bladder air mattress from a single unit, and allows a user to consistently set the firmness of each mattress air bladder to a desired value.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,488 to Hutchinson, et al. discloses various air chambers, cylinders, and tubes for use in the central or “lumbar” portions of the mattresses which may be selectively inflated or deflated in order to provide corresponding firmness levels. In an embodiment a body support has an array of barrel-shaped coils that define elongate gaps at their top and bottom portions, with an elongate, inflatable tube positioned in the gaps defined in the top portion of the body support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,738 to Kawasaki, et al. discloses a housing containing an air pump and an air pressure supply system for supplying air to an air mattress. The housing contains, in addition to the air pump, diaphragm type pressure regulators and diaphragm type surge check valves, as well as passageways and pressure chambers for interconnecting the pump to the pressure regulators and surge check valves.